Abstract
This paper reviews early research at the national level on the implementation and effects of the Department of Education’s block grant, Chapter 2 of the Education Consolidation and Improvement Act of 1981. The review is intended to synthesize what is known about the block grant in its first two years of operation (the 1982–83 and 1983–84 school years) and to suggest directions for future research on this policy mechanism. Findings from the early studies are summarized under six topics: funds allocation, educational service delivery, program administration, program assessment, decisionmaking, and intergovernmental relations. Although it is preoccupied with short-term impacts, this body of research brings important issues into focus and points the way toward further investigation.
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